Most present-day telecommunications networks typically include one or more Digital Cross-Connect Systems (DCSs) for electronically cross-connecting various incoming trunks to selected outgoing trunks in much the same way as a telecommunications switching system. However, with a DCS, the connections are set up in advance of the call, and typically remain in place thereafter. In contrast, a switching system sets up a connection on a call-by-call basis and then tears down the connection once the call is completed. As with other types of telecommunications equipment, each DCS is manufactured to achieve high reliability under adverse conditions. However, a disaster, such as a fire, flood, earthquake or explosion can render a DCS inoperable, disrupting telecommunications service. Moreover, during certain types of maintenance operations, a telecommunications service provider may purposely remove a DCS from service. Restoration of service requires that the cross-connections be restored, either by restoration of DCS itself, or by replicating the cross-connections on another DCS.
Restoration of the DCS cross-connections is usually a time-consuming operation. In the event of a disaster, spare DCS capacity may no longer exist on site. Under such circumstances, one or more restoration DCSs must be transported to the disaster site. Thereafter, technicians must replicate the cross-connections on the restorations DCSs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,917, "Automated Recovery of Telecommunications Network Elements", issued on May 30, 1995, in the name of Richard Guzman, and assigned to AT&T Corp., the assignee of the present invention, describes a method for automated restoration of one or more inoperative DCSs in a telecommunications network. In accordance with the teachings of the '917 patent (herein incorporated by reference), restoration of a plurality of inoperative DCS is accomplished by first connecting a plurality of restoration DCS through guided media, in the form of cables, radio channels or the like, to the inoperative DCS. Thereafter, the profile of each inoperative DCS (i.e., its cross-connection data) is obtained from a network data base, referred to as the DCS Operation Support System (DCS-OSS). A technician then translates the cross-connections needed to restore the each inoperative DCS into a circuit map in accordance with the cross-connect capability of each restoration DCS. The circuit map is ported to the restoration DCSs and is thereafter executed by such DCSs to restore service.
While the restoration technique disclosed in the '917 patent is effective, the technique nevertheless suffers from the drawback that the profile of each inoperative DCS may not always be accurate. In practice, the profile for each inoperative DCS is obtained by periodically reconnoitering that DCS. Depending on the traffic it carries and its location, a DCS may only be reconnoitered as often as every six months. Between such six month intervals, a telecommunications network service provider will likely re-provision a DCS to alter its cross-connections to add, remove or modify service. Hence, there is a significant likelihood that the stored profile for a given DCS will not include such recent provisioning information. Hence, that restoration of a DCS using its stored profile often will not result in a complete restoration of all service.
Thus, there is a need for a restoration technique that provides for complete restoration of an inoperative DCS.